Written Homework
On every Tuesday of this term, there is either a homework set or a midterm exam due.
Homework sets will be available on this course's Canvas page (under Files).
Submission Instructions, Policies, and Advice
You must submit your solutions electronically, via file upload on Canvas.
Please re-read the late submission policy and the section about academic integrity on the main tab.
Do not put off homework submission until the last few minutes before the deadline! It can cost you a lot. The deadline is totally strict. You are responsible for ensuring that a clear, complete, and readable submission has been uploaded to Canvas before the deadline. So, before the deadline has elapsed, go on Canvas and access your submission there to make sure all is good.
Homework Grading
Several homework problems will be long-answer questions worth 7 points. On such problems, our grading guidelines are as follows.
- 7 points: A mathematically correct and concise solution that is written well. Contains no errors other than perhaps small spelling mistakes and minor grammatical errors.
- 6 points: A basically correct solution but with one of
the following small flaws.
- One or two small typos that makes the solution technically wrong.
- A proof that is missing one or two minor steps of reasoning.
- A mathematically correct solution but with grammatical errors that make parts of it hard to read or confusing. This includes not writing in complete sentences.
- An otherwise correct solution that is a bit longer than necessary and the excess length subtracts from its clarity.
- 5 points: A mostly correct solution with more than a
minor flaw. For example
- Minor flaws in two or three places, as above.
- Mathematically correct solution but with poor grammar throughout.
- A correct solution that is much longer than necessary (e.g., writing two full pages when half a page would have sufficed).
- 4 points: A solution that is on the right track but has a big mistake somewhere. To get this score, the problem must require at least two major ideas and the mistake cannot be in the more/most important idea.
- 3 points: An attempted solution that has some of the important ideas required but with a mistake in the most important idea.
- 2 points: An attempted solution that solves only a easy special case of the problem, where solving the full problem would require much more sophisticated idea(s).
- 1 point: An answer that would qualify for 2 points except that it has typos or small errors.
- 0 points: An answer that does not make useful progress towards a solution, or is a solution to something other than what was asked.
Challenge Problems
Many homework sets will have one or two "challenge problems" accompanying the regular homework. These are meant to provide a higher level of challenge for students who want to dig deeper into the subject and relish a strong challenge. My recommendation is that you think about these problems only if you have completed the regular homework and you found the homework easy. Your grade will never suffer because of not working on challenge problems and in fact it is unwise to skimp on regular homework to work on these challenge problems.
If you do solve a challenge problem, don't submit it with your regular homework. Instead, put a hardcopy (printout, write-up) of your solution in Professor Chakrabarti's mailbox before class on the day after the homework is due (i.e., by Wednesday 10:00 am). This is considered extra-credit work, so it won't be graded in the usual sense, but Professor Chakrabarti will keep a count of how many of these you have solved over the term. Only 100% rigorous solutions will count!
Don't be upset if you cannot solve any of the challenge problems. They really are very hard!
Homework Solutions
Sample solutions will (usually) be posted late Wednesday nights on Canvas (under Files). These solutions may subsequently be edited to include a summary "common mistakes" found in students' submissions.
Our sample solutions may be quite different from yours and may point out useful insights. For these reasons, please treat all sample solutions as required reading, even if you solved all the homework problems correctly.